Spring-wheel.



State of and useful Improvements 1n 1 tion taken on 50 The said spokes OF MACHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

, GEORGE E. GABON,

SPRING-WHEEL.

. lfo all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, GEORGE E. GABON, citizen of the United States, residing at lvlanchester, in the county of Hillsboro and New Han'lpshire, have invented. new Spring-Wheels, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention has to do with vehiclewheels embodying metallic springs;

and it has `for its general object to provide ,a simple, compact and inexpensive construction calculated to absorb shocks when a wheel encounters an obstruction for uneven Iplace ina road and one susceptible of being easily repaired, and well adapted to ywithstand the rough usage and strain to which the wheels of automobiles and other heavy vehicles are ordinarily subjected. My invention also has theA merit of not being affected by nails,

pieces ,of glass or other cut-ting devices en-` gaged by the tire tread; and its novelty, .Y

utility and practical advantages will be ful understood from the -following description and claims when the same are read in connection Awith the drawings, accompanying -,and forming vpart of this specification, in which:

Figure l is a side elevation, partly in sec! tion, of so much of a vehicle wheel as is 3o necessarvto illustrate the preferred specificl embodiment of myv invention.

Fig. 2 isa transverse section taken inthe plane indicated' by the line Q-GQ of Figgl.- Fig. 3 is a y detail 'section taken onthe line 3 3 of Fig.

1, looking downwardly. Fig. 4l is a vdetail perspective view showing the wear plates or shoes on one of the springs comprised in the wheel. F 1g. 5 1s a detail long1tud1.nal secthe metallic bands inside the elastic tread are connected together.

Similar letters designate corresponding parts in all of the viewsvof the drawings, re-

ferring to which:

the invention, the brackets B are provided Specification of Letters Patent. Abpiieation inea october 25, 1909.

the line 5-5 of F ig. 2, and A40 showing the manner in which `the ends* of` purpose of `my invention Patented N ov. l, 1910. serial No. 524,419. l

vwith sockets a which snugly receive the outer ends of the spokes as shown,V

Fixed to the sides b of the brackets B l 4are annular plates C, and bridging the space between the said plates are cross-bars D that are riveted or otherwise-fixed withrespect to the plates. The said cross-bars D may be arranged at suitable intervals and at an desired points relative to the brackets B, without affecting my invention, but I prefer tol arrange the same at the points shown intermediate the brackets the employment of long metallic springs.

" The brackets B combined with the annu- Alar plates C constitute the inner annular member of the wheel,a1rd the said inner annular member 1s separated by an intervenmg space as shown, from the outer annular 'member F.. The said outer member F ma be `of any construction compatible withV the purpose of ,my invention, without involving 4 departure from the scope thereof, though I prefer to have it comprise a metallic rim c, of channel form in cross-section, an elastic ytread (l formed of) rubber and canvas, or of any suitable composition, and having one or more (preferably two) bores e, and metallic bands f arranged in the said bores and having their ends lapped and riveted together after the manner shown in Fig. 5. 'The tread d "is shown of the twin ty e, but it is obvious that i-t may be of the single type without affecting my invention. It will also be obvious that the bores c render the tread comparatively light and increase the cushioning capacity thereof, While the'bands f assist B so as to admit ofil materially in strongly holding the` tread in the channel-shaped r1m c.

I yGr G are the springs of the wheel, and in- .asmuch as the said springs are identical in construction, a detailed description of the one shown in Figs. 2 and 4 will suflice to impart a definite understanding of all. The said spring G, Figs. 2 ande, is connected in a xed manner at one end to one of the cross-bars D, and is .curve-l, as shown, and connected at its outemen with the inner sid-el of the outer annular member F of the wheel. On its edges the spring is provided with wear plates or shoes H, which are ar-l ranged opposite the inner'sides of the annu-v lar plates C, as shown. The said Wear plates or shoes H are fixed to or formed integral with al cross-bar I, andthe said cross-bar I is arranged against and riveted or otherthe rim c in 4ened surfaces of the screw `viat-ing all tire trouble,

wise fiXedly connected with the spring. From this it follows that when the Wheel is making a turn and the spring is deflected laterally, one of the shoes I-I will bring up against and move on the inner side of the adjacent plate C, and in that way Will prevent injury to the spring and materially prolong the usefulness of the wheel as a whole. The outer end of the spring is preferably connected to the inner side of the manner shownthat is to say, a spring plate J of about the form illustrated, is arranged on the outer portion of the spring, and machine screws K are driven through apertures in the plate J and the end portion of the spring Gr and into threaded sockets in the rim c. The spring plate J is normally concave-convex, and is arranged with its concave side towardy the center of the wheel.' It will also be noted by reference to the drawings that around its screw holes the said plate is provided with roughened surfaces j designed to coperate with similarsurfaces on the under sides of the screw heads. Thus when the screws K are driven home, the spring plate J will be pressed into a fiat state, and put under tension, whereuponthe roughened surfaces of the plate by cooperating with the roughheads will effectually prevent casual loosening of the screws.

It will be understood from the foregoing thatI all of the springs G are connected in the 'manner described, and that' in consequence the said springs will serve to eectually absorb all shocks and strains, and this notwithstanding the `wheel is not, like a Wheel equipped with a pneumatic tire, liable to be put out of commission by a cut in the tread. I would also have it understood that in addition to cushioning the wheel and 0bmy novel wheel construction is calculated, by virtue of its resiliency, to absorb the shock incidental to changing the speed of or starting la motor vehicle, and in that Way the said wheel construction tends to prevent stripping of the transmission and sprocket gears.

The construction herein illustrated and described in detail constitutes the best practical embodiment of my invention that I have as .yet devised, but I would have it understood that in the future practice of the invention such changes or modifications may be made as do not involve departure from the scope of my Ainvention as defined in the claims appended.

I-Iaving described my invention, what I .claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is:

l. In a spring Wheel, the combination with an inner annular member comprising annular plates spaced apart, and cross bars fixedly connecting the said annular plates at intervals, and an outer annular member surrounding and separated by an intervening space from the inner member, of springs connected with and curved about the said cross bars and also connected with the inner side of the outer annular member and having on their edges shoes disposed at right anglesto the springs and opposed to the inner sides of the annular plates comprised in the inner annular member.

2. In a spring wheel, the combination with an inner annular member comprising annular plates spaced apart, cross bars ixedly connecting the said' plates at intervals, spokes, and brackets fixed with respect to the spokes and straddling the annular plates, and an outer annular member sur'- rounding and separated by an intervening space from the inner member, said outer member being provided with threaded sockets of springs connected with and curved about the said cross bars of the inner member and having on their edges shoes disposed at right angles to the springs and opposed to the inner sides of the annular plates comprised in the inner annular member, normally concavo-convex spring plates arranged on the outer end portions of thel springs and having screw holes and roughsurfaces surrounding the same, and screws extending throughsaid holesand into the threaded sockets in the outer annular member and having roughened surfaces on the inner sides' of their heads opposed to the rouglzened surfaces of vthe spring plates.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

l(irlt()RGI l E. GABON.

Witnesses J. A. Bon/1N, A. M. GILBERT. 

